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First Impressions of Apple’s Cheapest iPhone 16 Might Be Too Good

Posted on by darion

The iPhone 16 seems to be making a good first impression on those in the tech industry, but it may too good first impression.

Early reviews of Apple’s new iPhone — which will be released to the public on Friday — are in, and it looks like the cheaper models are getting more praise than the top-of-the-line Pro and Pro Max. Unlike in previous years, when the Pro was noticeably more updated than the lesser models, the entry-level iPhone 16 has more noticeable improvements. That could bode ill for Apple’s top-of-the-line lineup if buyers are emphasizing the cheaper models.

Engadget’s Cherlynn Low noted that there are fewer significant compromises between the Pro and non-Pro models in this iPhone series, and Nilay Patel, editor-in-chief of The Verge, went so far as to call the iPhone 16 Pro “one of the most unfinished products Apple has ever released.”

iPhone 16 features a customizable Action button previously only available on iPhone 15 Pro models. It also has a new camera control button that brings DSLR-style controls to your smartphone.

The iPhone 16 starts at $799, while the iPhone 16 Plus is priced at around $899. While there has been a lot of buzz around the introduction of Apple Intelligence technology to iPhones, the AI-powered software won’t start rolling out to all new models until October.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a Taiwanese analyst known for his Apple predictions, iPhone 16 pre-order weekend sales were down 12.7% year-over-year compared to the iPhone 15 launch weekend.

“The key factor is lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone 16 Pro series,” he wrote.

As Kuo said, this is because “the main selling point, Apple Intelligence, is not available at the time of iPhone 16 launch.”

And standout AI features (like the more personal Siri assistant) may not be available until next year, so it’s understandable why early reviewers might be reluctant to recommend getting in line for the $1,199 iPhone 16 Pro Max, which hits stores on Friday.

The key differences that make the Pro more premium than the regular iPhone 16 models are the higher-resolution screen, ProMotion camera quality, and better microphones.

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“It’s a good year for the entry-level iPhone, and a good year to upgrade,” wrote The Verge reviewer Allison Johnson.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in five colors: Ultramarine Blue, Turquoise Blue, Pink, White, and Black. Pro models come in four titanium finishes: Desert, Natural, White, and Black.

So if you want a colorful iPhone, according to reviews, you won’t have to sacrifice much more than camera quality.

With Apple Intelligence on the horizon, it makes sense that we’d want a phone that can support it — only the iPhone 15 and 16 can.

For now, though, it looks like reviewers are leaning toward saving a few hundred dollars by upgrading to the entry-level iPhone 16 instead of the Pro model.